


Peter's Bad Week

by daisysakura



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Panic Attacks, Peter Needs a Hug, Peter's Stressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisysakura/pseuds/daisysakura
Summary: Peter has a bad week and he isn't quite sure how to handle it. He bottles everything up until he can't and needs Tony to help him out.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 81





	Peter's Bad Week

**Author's Note:**

> Bottling things up can lead to some major discomfort. Trust me, I know from experience. Enjoy!

The slight breeze around him feels wrong. It's gentle, calm. It's the opposite of what he feels going on inside of him. He's in turmoil - he feels tense, suffocating. Peter wants it to stop; he _needs_ it to stop. His hands are still shaking from barely controlled rage or pain, he's not sure which. When he closes his eyes he can almost see the chaos within; his emotions threatening to spiral out of control. The sound of the waves crashing against the seawall down below is the only thing keeping him grounded as he continues to stare out the water towards the brightly lit city.

"I'm ok, I'm ok,"

He keeps telling himself from where he sits atop of the building. Whenever he feels overwhelmed, this is the place he comes to clear his head. Which is a bit weird considering nothing good happened here the first time. This is the same place he stood all that time ago; the spot where Tony Stark took away his suit after the ferry incident.

" _If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it,"_

That's what Tony had told him. He hadn't put a lot of thought into it back then, what with the Vulture and homecoming, but Peter thought about it afterward. He realized the suit didn't make him Spider-Man, _he_ was Spider-Man with or without it. The suit just made things easier for him. Of course, that didn't mean it made _everything_ easier. Especially not his life outside of the vigilante.

It all began on Sunday when MJ had messaged the decathlon team; telling them she'd be going out of town for the week to visit her sick grandmother and that Franklin would be temporary captain. Well, it could have been worse. It could have been Flash in charge, or even more distressing, himself. It was fine, though. He could manage one week with Franklin - even if the smaller boy was a bit high strung. He'd get through it just fine with Ned by his side.

Come Monday night, life decided to mess with him some more - Ned texted him with more bad news. Peter's best friend was going to be gone a few days because he'd somehow come down with chickenpox. Chickenpox! Apparently, the kid his mom had babysat caught it at school and given it to Ned who had never had it. That meant Peter would be without his best friends for the week but fine, he'd make do. It wasn't the first time he'd be without them, but it would be the first time he'd go for more than a day without the people he trusted. He felt lonely, abandoned. He ignored it.

With his backup away, Flash had taken tremendous pleasure in making school as hellish as possible for Peter. The bully had pushed Peter around more than usual; pulling his shorts down during P.E., dropping Peter's homework into a mud puddle, and locking him in a storage room for almost an hour, and that had just been on Tuesday. If the janitor hadn't been looking for some cleaning solution, who knows how long he would have been left in there. He could have gotten out without help but he couldn't risk anyone seeing Peter Parker break down a heavy door with his bare hands. After that, he did all he could to avoid Flash outside of decathlon meets otherwise Peter would willingly beat the bully to a pulp. Instead, he buried the anger and pretended nothing was wrong.

That Wednesday evening, while picking up dinner, he'd witnessed a car accident. Not bothering to suit up, he'd rushed to the scene with a few others trying to help. A small boy had been trapped in the back seat, clearly beyond saving. Peter had felt like a failure even though he knew there was nothing he could have done. He hadn't been able to sleep since. Every time he began to doze away, he heard the boy's mom screaming and he couldn't go to sleep afterward. He held onto sadness, the guilt of his failure, and pushed it down. He was fine.

He would have talked with Aunt May but the woman had her own problems to deal with. Being the director of a women's shelter, May had to deal with angry people a lot. Some looking for their victims. Apparently, a woman kept insisting her wife had to have stopped by and demanded May tell her where she was. The wife in question had indeed been there but May had helped her get away; no way was she telling the abuser where to. The woman had been stopping by each day, May finally having called the police to report the harassment.

On Thursday, her office had been vandalized but there was no evidence as to who it had been. Peter knew it was the crazed woman. Once he found her, Spider-Man was going to have a very long chat until she understood to stay away. He was worried but he hid that away. Everything would be fine.

By the time Friday came around, Peter couldn't take it anymore. Franklin was going crazy trying to make sure everything was perfect for their upcoming tournament and had snapped at Peter for being late to a meeting. The temporary captain had given him a terrible lecture about responsibility, much to Flash's amusement. "Michelle might cut you some slack but I won't. We need you, stop being the team's letdown." Yeah, that had stung a bit. He buried the hurt and acted like it hadn't bothered him. No big deal.

He tried so hard to help where he could - as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. But at the end of the day, he was a fifteen-year-old with so much on his plate and it was all starting to become too much. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a full night's sleep, he was sure he'd skipped a couple of meals which he knew was bad, and he had lost an important essay; he had worked hard on it for two weeks! It had been due today but Peter hadn't been able to find it. He thought the last time he'd seen it was on Tuesday but the whole week was a terrible blur and he couldn't be sure. Thankfully, his teacher had given him until Monday to turn it in. It would be strenuous but with no sleep, he'd be able to do it. Two weeks' worth of work in two days...yeah, great.

The sound of the ferry horn snaps him out of his thoughts, causing him to gasp. Had he not been breathing? He tries to slow down his pulsating heart; when had he lost control of it all? He felt sick, he was trembling so bad and his chest was hurting. Was he having a heart attack? He could feel the tears streaming down his face, the mask restricting his oxygen. At least, that's what it felt like.

" _Peter, you are currently experiencing a panic attack. We need to get your breathing under control."_

"Panic attack? Karen, I'm having a heart attack! I think I'm dying,"

" _I am not detecting a myocardial infarction. Peter, we need to get your breathing under control. You are beginning to hyperventilate."_

This couldn't be happening. Ever since the bite, Peter couldn't remember ever getting sick. Sure, that didn't mean he was immortal but a heart attack? He was fifteen! Not even his aunt...oh, no. His aunt. He was going to die and leave her alone. She would find a way to blame herself and there would be no one to look after her. They were all each other had.

"Karen, call May,"

" _I strongly recommend we focus on your breathing first-"_

"Call May!"

" _Calling May,"_

Peter kneeled to the ground, his hand tightening around his suit in an attempt to relieve some pressure from his chest. It didn't work.

" _Peter, her phone is currently turned off."_

No, that was wrong. May never turned her phone off, she worried too much about Peter to do so. In fact, she even carried a power bank in case she ran out of battery. No, she wouldn't have her phone off. What if that woman had moved on from vandalizing and had attacked May?

" _Peter, you will lose consciousness if you do not control your breathing. You need to sit up, inhale through your nose slowly and deeply while counting to five. Then, release the air gently through your mouth."_

The teen could hear Karen speaking to him but as hard as he tried, he could not understand what she was saying. He thinks he hears Tony mentioned but he's not sure. Everything was closing in on him. Peter was exhausted. The nightmares weren't letting him sleep, Franklin kept texting him to show up on time and to make sure he was studying, he'd skipped meals trying to find the lady harassing May but now it was too late. May could be in serious danger and he wasn't doing anything to help.

" _Incoming call from Tony Stark,"_

"I need to find her," He gasped out. "Karen, I can't breathe."

There was a click and it took Peter a second to realize somebody had forced their way into a call.

" _ **Pete, talk to me, buddy. What's happening?"**_

"Mr. Stark, Aunt May's in trouble. I don't know where she is, her phone is turned off which it never is, there's a crazy lady after May and I think she found her. I need to get to her but I don't know where she is!"

Peter quickly stands, his legs feeling weak as he tries to get to the edge of the building. " _Peter, I highly advise against jumping off in your condition,"_

" _ **Jumping off? Peter, stay where you are. I'll be there soon, don't move."**_

Peter nods but isn't sure what he's agreeing to; he needs to find his aunt but first, he needs to breathe! He pulls off his mask, tossing it behind him as he walks up to the ledge, extends his arm ready to shoot but he steps off before he does. He falls forward, realizing too late he probably should have waited. He's going to die. Damn it, he's going to die. Wait, right, web-shooters. Just as he raises his arm, something slams into him. Hard. The wind is knocked out of him.

Before he knows it, he's being placed back on the ground. He forces himself to focus, to take a deep breath and realizes he's back atop of the building he'd just fallen from. He doesn't have to ask how that happened.

"Pete, you ok? Hey, are you with me?"

The teen focuses on the man in front of him. Iron Man removes the faceplate, Tony's concerned face staring back at Peter. "M-Mr. Stark?" Tony's here. That means he's ok, right? He'll make sure everything is ok. He'll save Aunt May. Everything's going to be ok.

"Yeah, it's me, kid."

"Oh," He says before slumping forward into Tony's arms. His body feels like it's shutting down, he feels drained of everything. He's so exhausted and freezing. He can feel the tremors all over his body, his teeth chattering.

"Shit, Peter? Hey, hey, what's wrong? Fri?" Tony asks looking over the teen but can't see any obvious injuries.

Peter curls into himself, wanting to disappear if only for five minutes. He can't handle everything that's been happening. He's so tired of it all. Then, he remembers he needs to help his aunt but his body is refusing to move. "Aunt May,"

"It's alright, we'll find her. You just try to relax, you understand?"

Peter thinks he agrees but he's not sure. The next thing he knows, he's surrounded by darkness.

* * *

Peter slowly regains consciousness. He knows he's on a bed - he can feel the cool sheets beneath him and the incredibly comfortable mattress. Was it morning?

He remembers needing to study for the upcoming decathlon, MJ and Ned were both away, Flash was being a jerk, and…

His eyes snapped open as he quickly sat up. His breathing erratic as he remembers everything. His aunt, Aunt May was missing!

"Whoa, calm down, Pete."

Peter turns to the voice, surprised he didn't notice Tony sitting in the chair next to the bed. Now, that he's paying attention, he realizes he's in the medbay. How he got here he doesn't know or care. He needs to know what happened with May.

"Mr. Stark, my aunt, what happened with Aunt May?"

"She's fine, she's downstairs with Pepper. She's ok."

She's ok? But she had her phone off. He remembers how worried he was, there must have been something wrong. He wouldn't have worried so much otherwise. Right?

"How? She was in trouble, that lady-"

Tony shakes his head, "She was helping a man and his children last night. She gave her phone to one of the kids and the girl dropped it into a toilet. It turned off and wouldn't turn back on but she was fine. Don't worry, I'll get her a waterproof phone so it doesn't happen again."

She was fine. Everything was fine. He feels something snap - his facade begins to crumble. He starts to cry. He tries to hold back the tears, he really does but it's too much for him. The last thing he wants is to cry in front of the man he greatly respects but he can't stop himself.

"I'm so sorry," He sobs.

Tony doesn't hesitate. Well, maybe he hesitates a second before sitting down next to the teen and carefully wraps an arm around Peter's shoulders. "There's nothing to apologize for, Pete."

"I can't do this anymore, Mr. Stark. I can't keep doing this."

He feels Tony shift in his spot to get a better look at the weeping teen. "Can't do what? What's going on inside that head of yours?"

"Everything! I can't do anything right lately and I'm letting everyone down." Peter brings his knees up to his chest. "I'm a failure. I keep disappointing the decathlon team, Flash is a total jerk no matter how much I ignore him, I couldn't save that boy, I stupidly lost my essay and let my teacher down, and I couldn't help Aunt May. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do anything."

He cries. He feels Tony pull him closer but he can't stop. For the first time this week, he's getting some kind of relief.

"How long have you been feeling this way?"

Peter continues to cry but he can almost hear a bit of guilt in Tony's question. He shrugs. "Like what, a failure? A loser? A disappointment? I've always felt like I wasn't good enough but this week everything just...piled up. It all became too much and I couldn't keep it bottled up anymore no matter how hard I tried. Everything started to fall apart."

Peter feels Tony hold him a little tighter, he can hear Iron Man's heart speed up a bit as well.

"Damn it, Peter." Tony murmurs. "Why didn't you say something to your aunt? To me. Why didn't you say something to me?"

"Because it's stupid. I'm Spider-Man, I should be able to handle a little pressure. I'm not a kid anymore."

"It's not stupid. And just because you're Spider-Man doesn't mean you're not Peter Parker, a fifteen-year-old high school student. Most importantly, you're still human. You're supposed to act human, kid. You're allowed to feel overwhelmed but you're also able to ask for help."

"But I'm a superhero,"

"Have you _heard_ of the Avengers? We're superheroes but we still need each other every now and then. Hell, we probably need help more than the average person considering all the shit we see. It's a good thing we're a large group, that means you have a lot of people to choose from when you need help. Needing help doesn't make any of us less superhero-y."

Peter scoffs, "Superhero-y?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what I mean. It's ok to ask for help even when you don't think you need it or should need it."

" _You_ never ask for help," The teen answers softly. In fact, it's because Tony seems to always have everything together that Peter wants to do the same. He wants to be just as strong.

Tony stands up and moves to kneel in front of Peter, making sure the boy can see his face. "What, do you think I'm perfect or something?"

Peter feels his ears heat up and looks down at his hands. He doesn't say anything but that's answer enough for Tony.

"Geez, Pete. I'm flattered, really, I am. I didn't think I had to say it but I'm not perfect. I pretend to be but I'm just as human as you and all the other Avengers. Well, except Thor who _is_ kind of a god but even he isn't perfect." He runs a hand through his hair, "See, adults usually don't want their kids to see them struggling but that doesn't mean we don't. I guess I didn't make it easy for you to come to me with your own struggles. I, uh, sorry about that, kid."

Peter looks up with a frown, "What? No, Mr. Stark, you don't need to apologize. This was my fault, I should have-"

"Nope," Tony made sure to pop the 'P' as he wraps an arm around Peter once more. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. You're a kid, my kid. I need to look after you and I can see I haven't been doing a great job so far."

"Mr. Stark-"

"Zip it," He says with a slight smile which lets Peter know the man isn't trying to be mean. "No more apologies. I'll do better but I need you to help me out, too. If you're feeling like this again, I need you to tell me. Call me any time, no matter what. No more bottling anything up."

Peter wipes his eyes. "Ok,"

"Promise?"

"Promise. And that works both ways, Mr. Stark. I know I'm not an Avenger or an adult or much, really, but I'm here, too."

"Trust me, kid. You don't need to be an Avenger or an adult to be great. You are much more than what you think you are and that's not stopping anytime soon." Tony states looking away and clearing his throat.

Peter can see how hard it is for the man to put his sarcastic personality aside and be completely honest. That made him even more of a hero in his eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah, well, you need to eat." He exclaims, standing up. "I'll go get you something then you need to rest some more. After that, we're having a long chat about this past week. You're telling me everything, got it? Including what's going on with that assface, Flash."

Peter finally offers a sincere smile. Tony's right. He doesn't have to hold everything in, especially not when he has so many people who care about him. People who go through things just like him. He really isn't alone. He knew that but he figures it's good to be reminded of it every once in a while.

"Sure thing, Mr. Stark."

**Author's Note:**

> I am a sucker for Tony/Peter father/son fics. If you have any recommendations for that, please let me know. Thank you for the support!


End file.
